Mu out of Pre

Except the money that comes with it

NB is DEFINITELY getting their worth from Sydney. She is far more well known than most track athletes and thus more of an asset for advertising. They would make next to nothing advertising Femke Bol in the USA even with her competing everywhere. Sydney also brings a USP of religion and humility which attracts a certain target audience which has high purchasing power in America. Likewise, Sha'Carri could never compete again and still be more worth sponsoring than most other Nike track athletes. It's just true. Most of the people they are making money from don't watch circuit meets and wouldn't even know if Sydney and Mu pulled out.

Not really sure if Nike is getting their worth out of Mu but I'd wager she's still giving them more return than several other Nike athletes that compete all year.

Feels like people have just become accustomed to hate on Mu and Sydney at this point. Sydney will have ran 2 high quality races this year before Femke opens her outdoor season (yes I know she ran indoors) and there are several other 800m athletes (both USA and elsewhere) that haven't opened yet either. Keely being one...

Kersee could consider the option of not injuring his athletes or being deceptive in the press. He claimed Sydney had a minor injury last year when it was actually quite a major one. Now he’s pulling out two of his three big athletes out of Pre due to injuries. He claims it’s minor/precautionary but it’s hard to believe him.

It wont matter if she retires,after the olympics. She's already achieved everything .

big whoop that describes like 90% of the people in the world

It appears I’m one of the last few remaining loyal Mu fans on this site. Here’s why I’m still on her side:

1. I accept her reasoning for not racing much last year. She went through a breakup, she was adjusting to a new coach and location, and she felt burnt out. Basically her mental health wasn’t great, and it’s difficult to perform if one’s mental health is compromised.
2. I appreciate the way she came back after her world championship loss and won Pre in a record-breaking time. She could have gone into hiding after losing in Budapest, but instead she showed resilience and the heart of a champion.
3. According to the Runner’s World article, the reason she hasn’t raced yet this season is a hamstring issue. I’m not going to hate on someone because she has a hamstring issue. I’ve had them before, and I know they have a tendency to linger.
   

The one thing I will criticize Mu for is not doing a better job keeping us informed about what’s going on with her. It’s frustrating when she doesn’t race and we aren’t given an explanation. At least now we finally know she has a hamstring issue.

Here’s hoping Mu gets fully healthy and back in a racing kit soon.

problem for her is, when she is no longer an olympic champion, no one will be interested in her “modeling career”.

Her coach talks about her like she’s an animal.

It can’t be a good situation if that’s his cheery public face.

you are right and it’s actually disgusting how he talks about her

My guess is that Bobby enters her, she cries about it to him and then they scratch her. Much like a HS kid that has their parents forcing them to do it.

Lmao, a Bobby Kersee athlete dropping out of nearly every race is so predictable that it's not even a surprise anymore.

Basically nobody gives updates on how they are doing. A few people try the YouTube route but not many.

Honestly I could see the optimal path to winning being something like a rust buster before the trials, trials, a euro race or two, Olympics. You need some races. You don’t need races in April/may..

I thought this accusation was about to go in a completely different direction.

I appreciate your loyalty to Mu, but your argument has some logical issues. Excusing her lack of racing due to personal struggles is more about emotion than logic. Similarly, basing her comeback on a single win at Pre doesn't provide enough evidence of her overall form. Saying you won't criticize her due to shared experiences with hamstring issues is more about sympathy than an objective assessment. Also, focusing on her lack of communication rather than her athletic performance doesn't address the main issue. I hope she recovers soon and gets back to top form.

again, there's no evidence this has ever happened. she enters and then withdraws, that's it. whether it's her choice or her coach's, we don't know, but we also don't have any reason to believe this narrative that they are battling.

that said, I'm a huge Mu fan and I'm not just disappointed to not see her race -- I'm running out of reasons to root for her. Giving the fans what they want is part of the job -- and running IS her job. It's not a good look to be constantly whining about how hard the job is, and just not doing it.

I find this whole attitude of Mu having to race often enough keep her fans (or whatever her haters here are) unfrustrated pretty weird. Racing is an elite runner’s professional lifeblood and I’m sure she understands that well and is likely unhappy at not being able to race when she wants to.

It’s sort of like hating on Warren Buffet because he is not deploying BRKB’s cash pile to buy companies or investing it in something with higher returns. Either he is unhappy about that as well or he knows exactly what he is doing and is contented. At least BRKB investors have their money on the line; Mu’s haters here get to watch her race for free and then criticize.

I would love to see her:

A) leave Kersee
B) attempt a 400/800 double at World Champs (even if she bombs at the 4

Before she retires at the ripe age of 23.

She once had such a joy and competitiveness in racing that it was impossible not to fall in love and root for her. This whole ‘only race when you can win’ mentality is difficult to support.

Her behavior last year really brought this on to the point that it is hard to accept that she is just dealing with a hamstring injury and they don't want to risk losing her for the year, which is what ended up happening to Sydney last year.